On February 11, 2024, we had another pleasant weather for activity. Tha partcipants of the day were Sagami Women’s University group, Tama Technical High School group, general volunteers, wheelchair professionals, and staff:16 in total. Vietnamese group was absent due to the Vietnamese New Year celebration.
The goal of today’s work was to complete the remaining 10 of the 90 units for Paraguay. Although we had fewer people than usual, we were able to complete the target 10 units.
Tama Technical High School group, which is almost a regular these days, is in charge of packing. The packing process is more detailed than it appears. The difficult part is how to fold the wheelchair. Japanese wheelchairs for children are designed in various ways to be compact for easy transportation. The various folding methods make it difficult for those in charge of packing. When we are unsure, we ask a wheelchair professional for advice.
In actual packing, items that stick out, such as handles, will break through the wrapping during loading and unloading if left as they are. To avoid this, the protruding parts are covered with a small piece of wrapping. After that, we wrap the whole unit. This way, the entire packing material is prevented from tearing during transport and loading.
Sagami Women’s University group tried maintaining work for the first time. Previously they’ve been in charge of cleaning or packing, but the students requested to experience maintenance, and from this time on, the group was given consistent responsibility for both cleaning and maintenance. They learned the names of the parts and tools and learned how to use them from the staff in practice while working on their own.
There was a special treat again! About an hour into the work, the white bean soup was served. It was just the right sweetness, warming and delicious. Thank you, Sora-san, for making delicious food every time!
The container loading date for Paraguay has been set for March 18. The ship is scheduled to leave Tokyo Port on March 26. We hope for the ship’s safe departure.
Thank you all for your hard work. (There is an extra article at the end of the photos.)
February 12, 2024 Secretariat
(How to see the photos) Click on the photos to enlarge them.
(Left) Around 9 o’clock, the staff begins gathering to prepare the venue.
(Right) Volunteer Abebe always comes about the same time. Today he is trying to raise the Ethiopian flag as a way of thanking and celebrating the recent wheelchair delivery to Ethiopia.
(Left) Tama Technical High School group, packing “waiting-to-be packed” wheelchairs one after another.
(Right) In response to a request from the Sagami Women’s University group to “experience maintenance,” a staff member shows them how it is done. After this, they proceeded with the maintenance work on their own.
“Shiratama Oshiruko” (white bean soup) made by Sora. So delicious that everyone lined up for seconds.
Everyone continued to work after “Oshiruko” break.
Lunchtime.
Thank you all!
〇Extra article〇
We have sent many children’s wheelchairs to Vietnam for the Vietnam Red Cross. In 2023, however, we were told that they couldn’t receive wheelchairs because the import permit was not granted. Due to restrictions on importing used goods, we are currently declining to ship to the country.
Such is the situation, but we talked to a volunteer on the Vietnam group, who introduced Mr. Bah, representative of Japan Vietnam International Exchange Organization. He requested us to provide wheelchairs, saying “I return to Vietnam at least once a month and would like to carry it in my hand luggage and deliver it to a child in Vietnam. So we decided to prepare 1-2 wheelchairs/month, and Mr. Fee from the organization came to our meeting place today to pick up the wheelchairs.
The wheelchairs we handed today will be brought to Vietnam around February 20, and delivered to children. President Morita told Mr. Fee that he would like to continue to send one or two units to Vietnam, even if it is one or two at a time in this way.
(Left) Mr. Fee, in place of Mr. Bah, received two buggy-type wheelchairs from Mr. Morita.
(Right) Photo of Mr. Fee and Mr. Morita with Sagami Women’s Uni group.